Gerald Ford assassination attempt in Sacramento
| Gerald Ford assassination attempt in Sacramento | |
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Ford being rushed by US Secret Service from 1975 Sacramento, California assassination attempt
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| Location | Capitol Park, south of 1121 L Street, Sacramento, California |
| Coordinates | 38°34′29″N 121°29′21″W / 38.574743°N 121.489252°WCoordinates: 38°34′29″N 121°29′21″W / 38.574743°N 121.489252°W |
| Date | September 5, 1975 ~10:04 am (PST) |
| Target | Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States |
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Attack type
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Attempted political assassination via shooting |
| Weapons | Colt M1911 .45 cal. semi-automatic pistol |
| Deaths | None |
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Non-fatal injuries
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None |
| Victim | President of the United States |
| Perpetrator | Lynette Fromme |
| Participant | One |
| Defender | Larry Buendorf, Secret Service agent |
| Motive | To set an example to those refusing to halt environmental pollution and its effects on Air, Trees, Water, and Animals (ATWA) |
The Gerald Ford assassination attempt in Sacramento was a September 5, 1975, effort by Charles Manson Family cult member Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme to kill President of the United States Gerald Ford in California. She wanted to make a statement to people who refused to halt environmental pollution and its effects on Air, Trees, Water, and Animals (ATWA). Although Fromme stood a little more than an arm's length from Ford that Friday morning and pointed a M1911 pistol at him in the public grounds of the California State Capitol building, her gun failed to fire and no one was injured. After the assassination attempt, Ford continued to walk to the California state house, where he met with California governor Jerry Brown. For her crime, Fromme spent 34 years in prison and was released on August 14, 2009 – 2 years and 7 months after Ford's death. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, later received the M1911 pistol used in the assassination attempt as a gift, and the gun was put on display.
Lynette Fromme, who was nicknamed "Squeaky" by George Spahn, was a follower of cultist Charles Manson, leader of the group convicted of murdering actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles, California, in 1969. Fromme was one of the earliest, and had a reputation as being one of the most devoted, followers of Manson. Through the years, Fromme served as "the cornerstone" in keeping Manson cult members in communication with each other.
In April 1971, Fromme served 90 days in jail for attempting to feed a hamburger laced with the psychedelic drug LSD to Barbara Hoyt, a witness to the Tate murder, to keep Hoyt from testifying in the murder trial. Fromme moved to San Francisco to be closer to Manson in nearby San Quentin Prison. Later in 1972, she moved to Sacramento to maintain her proximity to Manson when he was transferred from San Quentin to Folsom Prison. In Sacramento, Fromme lived at 1725 P Street (38°34′16″N 121°29′09″W / 38.571142°N 121.485807°W) in an attic apartment with Sandra Good, a close friend who also was a long-time member of the Manson Family. Three years later in 1975, Fromme decided to kill Ford to set an example for those refusing to halt environmental pollution and its effects on ATWA (Air, Trees, Water, Animals).
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